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She didn’t, couldn’t afford to see hi

CHAPTER SIX

WIDE EYES DRESSED with the longest lashes searched and studied his face unblinkingly as Raphael waited Dappled in the sunlight, she looked exquisitely innocent Desire was a permanent drumbeat in his blood anytime he was near Pia But it wasn’t just that anymore

She had a way of looking at his he’d neverdeep beneath his words and showing him a side of himself he’d never seen before

The shame of his father’s suicide was a wound that had festered for too long And yet, beneath it, he recognized the pain of betrayal he hadn’t seen until now

He had worshipped his father and overnight, his hero had both abandoned and betrayed hiered on in what he had felt then was the epitome of weakness

“Take care, Pia,” he whispered Until now, he’d let Gio coerce hi control made him snarly “Is it any wonder Giovanni wants you tied up to soobble me up”

“Not any man, just you,” she replied, and then blushed furiously “It’s good to know that you care about your daughter”

Instead ofhim, her apparent approval riled him Damn it, the wo monster?”

Another step forward by him and another backward by her “All indications said so”

“Stop backing away” The corowl